Suddenly releasing a new video game without warning is not something that usually happens. Sony does have a habit of releasing important new demos at the same time as its major press conferences, but launching Let It Die during the PlayStation Experience on Saturday was unusual. But then unusual is exactly what you’d expect from a Dark Souls-inspired, ultra violent, free-to-play game from the creator of Lollipop Chainsaw.

The highly-anticipated follow-up to ICO and Shadow Of The Colossus is finally out, but it is as good as fans have been hoping?

If there was one moment at which Sony crowned their dominance of this generation of consoles, it was at their 2015 E3 event. There they unveiled three ‘impossible’ video games for the PlayStation 4, holy grails that no sane person thought would ever be released: Shenmue III, a remake of Final Fantasy VII, and The Last Guardian. Considering the mythical status of each the chances of any of them living… Read the full story]]>

GameCentral takes a look at all this year’s new Lego Dimensions packs, including Harry Potter, The A-Team, Gremlins, and E.T.

We’ve spoken before about how guilty we feel recommending toys to life games. Disney Infinity, Skylanders, and Lego Dimensions have all been very good games in the past, but because they encourage you to constantly buy new toys, which in turn unlock new DLC style content in the games, they open up a Pandora’s box of additional expenses. But sooner or later the sheer volume of extras exceed your child’s ability to plead for their purchase, and Disney Infinity has already… Read the full story]]>

http://metro.co.uk/2016/12/01/lego-dimensions-sonic-the-hedgehog-level-pack-review-plus-fantastic-beasts-adventure-time-and-more-6294981/feed/0davidjenkins2012davidjenkins2012davidjenkins2012davidjenkins2012davidjenkins2012davidjenkins2012davidjenkins2012davidjenkins2012davidjenkins2012Sonic is back... in Lego formdavidjenkins2012Sonic is back... in Lego formNot the Ghostbusters most people would call forYou can play as any of the Ghostbusters, not just AbbyJake only appears in car form in the level packThe name's... not BondBecause nobody wanted a Dirk Benedict minifigureWe actually quite want to see the film nowSome beasts are easier to find than othersRun like it's 1999The hub world is a thing of beautyFinal Fantasy XV review – the good, the bad, and the beautifulhttp://metro.co.uk/2016/11/29/final-fantasy-xv-review-the-good-the-bad-and-the-beautiful-6288894/
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Final Fantasy XV (PS4) – it’s finally out

After years of delays, one of the most anticipated video games of all time is finally released. But does it live up to the epic wait?

Square Enix has been making Final Fantasy XV, in one form or another, for over a decade now. Whatever else you say about it, the fact that it’s playable, enjoyable, and relatively coherent is a testament to the developers’ sheer bloody-mindedness in getting the game finished. But although much has changed in the games industry in the last 10 years, Final Fantasy XV avoids the pitfall of feeling old-fashioned before it’s… Read the full story]]>

Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations get the remaster treatment in this new compilation, but are they worth going back to?

The idea that there is any synergy between Hollywood and the video games industry has always made us laugh. Movie companies and games publishers seem keen to promote the lie, but without ever really explaining what it’s meant to mean. Games often steal concepts and settings from movies, and up until recently it was common to copy entire scenes, but never with the permission of the film company. Movies occasionally… Read the full story]]>

While most of us are done with Black Friday from a physical, ‘let’s go to the shops and wrestle over flatscreen TVs’ kind of way, it remains the one day of the year when pretty much every tech store in Britain is battling it out for your purchase.

Much has been made in recent weeks of Black Friday, whether it is stores like Jigsaw condemning it and refusing to take part, or those like Amazon or Argos starting their own Black Friday sales a week early and running until wasy past so-called Cyber Monday, making Black Friday more of a sale fortnight than a one day… Read the full story]]>

Classic survival horror Amnesia: The Dark Descent is finally released on console, but does it still hold up after all this time?

When people argue over what is the scariest game of all time we never join in. As far as we’re concerned there is no argument, it’s Amnesia: The Dark Descent. There are other games that have equally terrifying moments, but once Frictional Games’ classic get its hooks into you they stay there; as it begins to tug at not just your nerves but your sanity. And all without any need to rely on… Read the full story]]>

Uniting the best of Left 4 Dead, Gears Of War, and Zombies, this new co-op shooter is one of the goriest of the year.

A few years ago it would’ve seemed impossible to imagine the modern day military shooter going out of fashion. And yet here we are in 2016 and there are almost no examples of the concept in any of the major games this year. But while things have been a little quieter than usual on the zombie front, the undead fad has still yet to wear itself out. If you want a… Read the full story]]>

The year’s best couch co-op game returns with six extra DLC levels and a retail boxed set that makes for a particularly tasty treat.

Complaining about the lack of multiplayer games you can play with people in the same room, on the same couch, is not a new phenomenon. Whether co-op or competitive these sorts of games have been on a steady decline ever since online multiplayer became mainstream. But it’s still hard to understand why, given how different the experiences are and how uniquely entertaining it is to help and hinder friends… Read the full story]]>

One of last gen’s most unique and original first person adventures returns, with a follow-up that puts other sandbox games to shame.

One side effect of Bethesda’s refusal to send out review code early is that by the time we get round to reviewing one of their games we already know how well it’s sold. And unfortunately for Dishonored 2 the answer is not very well. As has happened so many times before, a publisher has foolishly tried to sell a cerebral, slow-paced game at a time of year when everyone is buying… Read the full story]]>

Ubisoft seems to have learnt the lessons of the uninspired original, but is the Watch Dogs sequel really a GTA beater?

When it was first released in 2014, the original Watch Dogs was the most successful new IP (i.e. not a sequel or licensed game) of the generation. And although that says more about the lack of other new IP than anything else it’s still in the top four, alongside Destiny, The Division, and Overwatch. At the time it was Ubisoft’s biggest launch ever, and has now sold over 9 million… Read the full story]]>

http://metro.co.uk/2016/11/14/watch-dogs-2-review-gta-got-hacked-6256744/feed/0davidjenkins2012davidjenkins2012Watch Dogs 2davidjenkins2012Watch Dogs 2 - will it be more fun than its predecessor?Watch Dogs 2 (PS4) - making the police work for youWatch Dogs 2 (PS4) - you don't have to be violent if you don't want toEagle Flight review – it gives you wingshttp://metro.co.uk/2016/11/11/eagle-flight-review-it-gives-you-wings-6251456/
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Eagle Flight (PSVR) – take that Notre-Dame!

Fly like an eagle in Ubisoft’s impressive new VR game, which gives you the power of flight in a post-apocalyptic Paris.

One of the things we’re most excited about with VR is that it’s brought the ability to fly back to video games. Despite being such a universal fantasy, it’s become less and less commonplace over the years, as publishers worry that moving in three dimensions will requires too much skill and complicated controls. And yet the PlayStation VR has already managed to bring back the space combat simulator, has multiple flight sims on the way, and has this…… Read the full story]]>

The best new 2D fighter of the last generation finally comes to PS4, offering a huge range of options for both new players and old.

As much as we enjoy fighting games, we have to admit that the storylines are not something we pay any real attention to. They all have them though, with long-running series like Street Fighter and Tekken having plotlines that stretch back decades. As one of the best new fighting series of the modern era BlazBlue has its own convoluted mythology, but there’s something unusual about the plot in this new sequel: it… Read the full story]]>

The first game to work on PS4 Pro from day one is a stunning sci-fi adventure with dinosaurs, but what’s it like to actually play?

Robinson: The Journey isn’t a very good video game. But if you know developer Crytek’s history, with titles like Crysis and Ryse: Son Of Rome, you’ll know that their real speciality is graphics not gameplay. And so it’s no surprise to find that Robinson is the most technically advanced PlayStation VR game we’ve ever played. It also happens to be the first game to be released with PS4 Pro support… Read the full story]]>

GameCentral gives its verdict on Call Of Duty 4’s remastered multiplayer, and whether it’s worth paying so much money for.

Reviewing a new Call Of Duty game is always a long and complicated business. But this year it’s not just three games in one, it’s two games of five in one. Or to put it in a way that doesn’t make your brain hurt, there’s Infinite Warfare with its story campaign, competitive multiplayer, and Zombies co-op. And then there’s Modern Warfare Remastered with it’s single-player and multiplayer. Different people will be… Read the full story]]>

It’s the most controversial Call Of Duty for years, but does Infinite Warfare make the most of its new sci-fi setting?

When people look back at the furore over the reveals of Battlefield 1 and this year’s Call Of Duty, they’re in danger of finding the hysteria over their trailers more interesting than the actual games. Not that Battlefield 1 is in any way bad, but the rather anodyne approach to its subject matter hardly justifies being the most liked video game trailer ever on YouTube. At the same time, Infinite Warfare’s… Read the full story]]>

Call Of Duty 4 has not been remastered, it’s been remade. As the most influential FPS of the last 10 years returns in its full glory.

The term classic is not a word that should be thrown around without good cause. As tempting as it is to apply the label to any high-quality game, it takes time and hindsight for the usage to ring true. But since Call Of Duty 4 is now nine years old it’s obvious that it clearly does deserve the accolade. It’s inarguably one of… Read the full story]]>

The final episode of Hitman’s first season is available now, but have they managed to save the best till last?

And so after seven months, the latest Hitman game is finally complete. Having a pre-existing franchise switch to an episodic release model has been a fascinating ride, and an almost unqualified success. There have been ups and downs, and it may have peaked a little early, but overall this has been an excellent new Hitman game and the best since at least Blood Money. The whole first season will be released as a boxed set in January,… Read the full story]]>

Bethesda’s groundbreaking role-player gets a graphical overhaul and the addition of mods, but is that enough to keep it fresh?

It’s now five years since Skyrim first took over everyone’s lives, with players happily spending hundreds of hours exploring what is one of the finest open world environments ever created. The fifth mainline entry in The Elder Scrolls series, creator Bethesda has warned that there will not be a sixth for some considerable time yet. And so instead there’s this ‘special edition’. So named because ‘ordinary remaster’… Read the full story]]>

http://metro.co.uk/2016/11/01/skyrim-special-edition-review-the-elder-scrolls-remastered-6228173/feed/0davidjenkins2012davidjenkins2012The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Editiondavidjenkins2012Skyrim Special Edition (PS4) - can you spare another 100 hours or so?Skyrim Special Edition (PS4) - prettier than it used to beSkyrim Special Edition (PS4) - because Elder Scrolls VI is still a way offSkyrim Special Edition (PS4) - the improved snow still isn't a patch on BattlefrontSkylanders Imaginators review – toying with your moneyhttp://metro.co.uk/2016/10/31/skylanders-imaginators-review-toying-with-your-money-6224384/
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Skylanders Imaginators (PS4) – choose your own adventurer

This year’s new toys to life game adds character customisation and Crash Bandicoot, but makes even more demands on parents’ wallets.

And so we come to that time of year when we start to feel guilty about recommending video games. Despite the demise of Disney Infinity, the toys to life concept is still going strong when it comes to Lego Dimensions and concept originator Skylanders. We’ll be taking a look at the season’s new Lego releases next month, but for now we have to reveal the unfortunate truth that Skylanders Imaginators is a very good game, especially… Read the full story]]>

From the creators of Call Of Duty comes a sci-fi shooter sequel that improves on the original in every way, including single-player.

We don’t think we’ve ever enjoyed firing a gun in a video game as much as we have in Titanfall 2. They’re made-up sci-fi guns (although most still use bullets) but using them, and all the other hardware in the game, feels so incredibly satisfying it’s all we can do not to use the cliché ‘visceral’ to describe it. But then Titanfall was always a great first person shooter, at least in terms of multiplayer. The question… Read the full story]]>

One of the first big new titles since the launch of the PlayStation VR is also one of its best, in this magical new god game.

Every single console launch this generation has been a disappointment. Upon release, each new format has offered up only a paltry selection of mostly mediocre games, and has taken a year or more to get itself out of its initial rut. And yet compared to that the launch for the PlayStation VR has been excellent, and we can only hope a sign that companies have finally learnt their lesson. But a good launch… Read the full story]]>

Dark Souls III: Ashes Of Ariandel (PS4) – the weather is the least of your problems

The first DLC expansion for Dark Souls III adds a brand new PvP mode, but does it still have enough to appeal to solo players?

As great as it was, there’s no pretending that Dark Souls III wasn’t sometimes worryingly familiar. That it had already announced itself as the final entry in the series helped to deflect a lot of the criticism, but we were concerned that having to come back for a drip feed of DLC would push things just… Read the full story]]>

Every Final Fantasy world, monster, and hero combine into a single game, but is the resulting crossover any fun to play?

Final Fantasy is not a franchise that is shy about indulging its fans’ nostalgia. But for a series that is coming up to its 30th anniversary, and has so many disparate entries, that doesn’t seem as self-indulgent as it would with other series. However, usually the more inclusive a game becomes, in terms of references to all the different sequels, the further it gets away from the franchise’s core gameplay – as you see in the likes of… Read the full story]]>

The Caped Crusader returns with remasters of his two best games, but do Arkham Asylum and Arkham City really look better than ever?

In theory we’re all for video game remasters. Since, in theory, they serve the same purpose as a movie remaster – a loving restoration of a beloved classic, that has been created with the help of the original director. The problem for video games is that the process is much more complicated, depending on how old the game is and how well it translates to modern consoles. In that sense Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City… Read the full story]]>

One of the PlayStation VR’s first proper horror games is more Silent Hill than Resident Evil, but how scary is it really?

It can’t be long now, until we get the first tabloid report (true or otherwise) of someone having a heart attack while playing PlayStation VR. As developers experiment with how to best make use of the new technology, the one obvious thing that is already known to work is horror games. But while it’s pretty easy to get a reaction from a quick jump scare, a well-crafted survival horror is a difficult thing… Read the full story]]>

http://metro.co.uk/2016/10/20/here-they-lie-review-everybodys-gone-to-hell-6202796/feed/0davidjenkins2012davidjenkins2012Here They Liedavidjenkins2012Here They Lie (PSVR) - but who are they?Here They Lie (PSVR) - dare you play it?Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide PS4 review – rats to thishttp://metro.co.uk/2016/10/19/warhammer-end-times-vermintide-ps4-review-rats-to-this-6201757/
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Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide (PS4) – rats entertainment

There’s still no sign of a real Left 4 Dead sequel, so can this new console version of last year’s PC hit fill the gap?

We’re going to be honest here: we have no idea how the Warhammer licence is supposed to be working any more. Half a dozen different companies seem to own either Warhammer Fantasy or Warhammer 40,000 licences, with Sega being the only major publisher involved. Since all the other developers are much smaller, the other games have tended to be low budget and not very good. So it was a welcome… Read the full story]]>

http://metro.co.uk/2016/10/19/warhammer-end-times-vermintide-ps4-review-rats-to-this-6201757/feed/0davidjenkins2012davidjenkins2012davidjenkins2012Warhammer: End Times - Vermintidedavidjenkins2012Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide (PS4) - rats entertainmentWarhammer: End Times - Vermintide (PS4) - just imagine what the cat people must be likeWarhammer: End Times - Vermintide (PS4) - Left 4 RatsWWE 2K17 review – face turnhttp://metro.co.uk/2016/10/19/wwe-2k17-review-face-turn-6200566/
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WWE 2K17 (PS4) – better luck next year?

The year’s new wrestling game has some of the best action the series has ever seen, but is that enough to overcome the other flaws?

For a while there it looked like the WWE games were finally starting to get good again. Last year’s game still had a lot of room for improvement, but the fight engine was definitely the best it had been since 2K took over ownership of the series. That’s still true of this new game, and yet somehow the addition of new features and modes has managed to make the overall experience worse,… Read the full story]]>

One of the PlayStation VR’s most impressive games is a Star Wars style space shooter, that takes deathmatch into deep space.

Reviewing VR games is not easy. Even ignoring the nausea issue, which is different for everyone, it’s difficult to judge a game by normal criteria when the novelty of the headset is enough to overcome most initial complaints. For us, dogfighting in outer space is exactly the sort of thing we want to be doing in virtual reality, but while EVE: Valkyrie does get a lot right we have to admit that it’s not really the… Read the full story]]>

An unusual First World War setting and a much improved story campaign combine in DICE’s latest first person shooter.

Fallout’s assertion that war never changes is based on the observation that no matter how much the technology of war evolves the reasons behind it, or lack thereof, do not. But while the fact of whether you’re fighting with plasma rifles or sharpened sticks may not make any difference to the politics and psychology of war it certainly does to the practicalities of combat. And yet you wouldn’t think so to play Battlefield 1, which despite being set more than 100… Read the full story]]>

http://metro.co.uk/2016/10/17/battlefield-1-review-the-shooter-to-end-all-shooters-6196404/feed/0Battlefield 1davidjenkins2012Battlefield 1 - not slow and boringBattlefield 1 - looking to attract new fans and old